WhAt iS LoVE?

Love's been on my mind lately for some reason. I keep getting thoughts of, "When you really truly love someone, what does it entail? Do I show it, or do I think I'm showing it?" etc.

The past few weeks, almost everything I've listened to or read seems to have some message about love that enlightens my mind. For example, this morning I was reading the scriptures and flipped open randomly to 1 John 4. 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

Made me think. I'm always afraid to hurt David's feelings or afraid to offend someone or the other. And the same goes for David and just about everyone else, too, I'm sure. Here are my thoughts on the verse:

Fear scares us and keeps us from doing good.

We can't ever make someone offended at us. THEY choose to take offense.

Love includes chastening and correction. They help us to be the best we can be.

>>Consider this, we're all making cakes. You forget to put the eggs in it. I notice, but don't tell you because I don't want to hurt your feelings or make you feel dumb. Your cake turns out horrible and flat and you wonder why. I then tell you that I noticed you forgot the eggs as you were making it, but didn't want to tell you for fear of hurting or offending you. How much would you trust me after that? Because I didn't tell you, you feel more dumb and hurt than if I would have, not to mention that you now don't have any cake to enjoy.

Compare this to life. Anything in life. When someone is making a mistake or missing something vital and we know a better way, or have experienced it before, or whatever the case may be, and we don't try to help them, we are limiting them and not really showing them that we love them. In the end, when they find out that you knew better and didn't try to help them they will feel hurt, confused at the least, and lose trust in you.

How much better could we all be if we were honest and helped each other, even if we knew it would cause a little pain along the way?

The people we trust and care about the most are usually the people that were honest with us, there for us, and cared enough to help us. Are they not?

Obviously, I'm still not "perfect in love" - probably won't be for a long time - but I'll definitely try harder to be.